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Srfc: — Rev.  Robert  Patterson,  D.  D.,  a  Presbyterian 
clergyman  resident  in  Oakland,  in  a  communication 
published  in  the  New  York  Evangelist  of  August  21,' 
1873,  makes  some  statements  over  his  own  signature 
which  deserve  notice,  in  so  far  as  they  relate  to  the 
University  of  California. 

However  strong  may  be  his  preferences  for  a  Pres- 
byterian college,  it  is  obvious  that  Dr.  Patterson  is 
either  misinformed  or  uninformed  on  the  subject  which 
he  discusses,  for  he  could  not  have  intentionally  de- 
parted from  the  truth. 

After  an  unauthorized  declaration  that  the  State 
University  has  resigned  to  the  Presbyterian  church 
"the  City  of  San  Franfeisoo,  and  has  located  itself 
away  out  on  t/ie  prairie  across  the  bay,  about  twelve 

miles  out  of  town,"  he  adds  this  sentence.  '•  The  State 
University  by  its  constitution  is  debarred  from  religion . 
At  its  recent  commencement  exercises  the  name  of  God 
was  not  spoken  ;  no  prayer  was  offered  ;  nor  was  any 
reference  made  in  any  of  the  young  men's  speeches  to 
moral  or  religious  ideas.  Now,  even  an  athiest  does 
not  desire  his  boy  to  be  trained  a  materialist." 

Allow  me  to  say  that  the  University  of  California 
celebrated  its  recent  commencement  at  Berkeley,  July 
16,  1873.  Its  exercises  were  opened  by  a  prayer  of- 
fered up  by  Rev.  S.  H.  Willey,  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man of  Santa  Cruz;  two  addresses  were  made  by  young 
men,  one  of  them  a  brief  Latin  salutatory,  which  gave 
but  little  scope  for  religious  or  moral  ideas;  the  other 
was  by  a  young  man  of  Hebrew  origin,  a  thoughtful 
comparison  of  ancient  and  modern  culture;  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  University  in  bestowing  the  degrees,  in- 
voked upon  the  young  men,  "  the  blessing  of  Almighty 
God,"  and  warned  them  [against  "  dishonesty,  selfish- 
ness and  sloth;"  the  concluding  address  was  written 
by  Rt.  Ixev.  Bishop  Kip,  and  delivered  in  his  absence 
by  Rev.  Dr.  Lathrop,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  the' Ad- 
vent, in  San  Francisco . 

A  large  number  of  clergymen  of  various  denomina- 
tions wre  present,  most  of  whom  expressed  their  satis- 
faction with  the  exercises.  The  Jewish  Rabbi,  the 
Rev.  Dr .  Cohen,  placed  in  my  hand  a  substantial  pres- 
ent for  the  young  orator  referred  to.  Two, 


at  least,  of  the  religious  papers  of  San 
Francisco,  the  "Pacific,"  (Congregational)  and  the 
•'Pacific  Church  man"  (Episcopal,),  referred  to  the  Com- 
mencement exercises  in  terms  too  cordial  to  be  quoted 
here.  Since  Commencement  the  Trustees  of  an  insti- 
tution conducted  by  a  third  religious  denomination  have 
expressed  their  purpose  to  give  up  the  idea  of  a  college 
and  to  make  their  establishment  "  a  training  school  for 
the  State  University  or  any  other  first-class  college  in  the 
land."  Prominent  persons  connected  with  three  distinct 
religious  bodies,  are  seriously  purposing  to  build  halls 
or  residences  for  the  students,  near  to  the  Univsrsity 
grounds'.  For  this  purpose  the  Episcopalians  have  se- 
cured already  six  acres  of  land  and  funds  to  the  amount 
of  $5.000  or  more. 

In  short,  while  the  University  of  California  is  an  in- 
stitution of  the  State,  and  is  so  conducted  that  neither 
Protestant,  Catholic,  nor  Jew  can  claim  that  it  is  a  "sec- 
tarian" or  an  4*  ecclesiastical"  foundation ;  it  aims  to 
promote  the  highest  development  of  character.  While 
the  State  provides*  buildings  and  apparatus 
and  intellectual  instruction  those  who  desire 
to  secure  for  ycung  men  religious  and 
social  culture  propose  to  build  up  around  the  Uni- 
versity churches  and  homes.  While  all  such  helps  are 
welcomed,  when  provided  by  private  or  by  ecclesiasti- 
cal liberality,  the  public  funds  are  sacredly  kept  free 
from  sectarian  control. 

The  criticisms  of  Hev.  Dr.  Patterson  upon  the  Uni- 
versity of  California  precede  the  following:  " there- 
fore," with  which  he  concludes.  "The  Presbyterian 
Church,"  he  says,  "  has  now  before  it  the  golden  oppor- 
tunity of  guiding  the  higher  education  of  the  Pacific 
Coast.  Therefore,  I  do  most  earnestly  beseech  the  gen- 
erous-hearted Presbyterians  of  New  York  to  give  Dr. 
Cunningham  a  hearing  when  he  visits  them  in  Sep- 
tember, in  the  guise  of  a  man  of  California,  crying, 
'Help  us!'" 

Hoping  that  "the  higher  education  of  the  Pacific 
Coast"  will  not  suffer  in  the  hands  of  its  advocate,  I  am, 
Mr.  Editor,  Yours  Respectfully, 


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